Fire-shield.



D. S. WATSON.

FIRE SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1910.

Patented July 16, 1912;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A Na7/71e y.

coLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH co,. WASHINGTON, n. c.

D. S. WATSON.

FIRE SEIELD. APPLICATION FILED sBPT.15,.191o.

y Patented July 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses:

A ttorw e u.

um Mmm 0U-- vmlm. D. C.

D. S. WATSON.

PIRE SHIELD.

APPLIoATIoN FILED s211115. 1910.-

Patented July 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEETY3.

Witnesses.-

Attorney.

(UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFEioE.

DAVID S. WATSON, OF CANASTOTA, NEW YORK.

FIRE-SHIELD.

Application filed September 15, 1910.

To-ali 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID S. VATSON, of Canastota, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Shields, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fire shields for belt openings in floors, ceilings and walls of buildings for the purpose of normally permitting the free action of the belt through said opening and for automatically and effectively closing said opening and preventing the passage of fire or smoke therethrough in case of fire.

The m'ain object is to prevent the spread of fire from one room to another of-a building through the belt openings and other passages.

Another object is to enable the shield to be readily adjusted to different angles to conform to that of the belt.

A further object is to cause the closure to operate with greatest force of pressure when it approaches or has reached its closing position so as to assure a more effective closing of the opening in the shield through which the belt passes.

Other objects and uses relating to specitic parts of the device will be brought out in the followingY description In the drawings Figure 1- is a perspective view of a lire shield for belt openings and floors and ceilings showing a portion of a vertically traveling belt therein,

the closure being shown as held in its normal open position. Figs. 2- and 3-u are transverse sectional views taken respectively on lines -2-2 and -3-3 Fig. lcxcept that the bail and its connections with the closure are omitted in Fig. Q Fig. -4- is a transverse, vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. -1-. Fig. -5- is a lengthwise sectional view similar to Fig. -lshowing the shield in an inclined position, the mechanism for holding the closure in its open position being adjusted in accordance with such angle to bring about the desired operation of the,

closure when released. Fig. -6- is a side elevation, partly in section, of a similar shield, showing a slightly modified form of retaining means for holding the closure in its open position, the shield being shown as used'in connection with a vertically travel- Specification of Letters Patent.

bail holding device shown in Figs. 1-

ratented July 16,1912.

Serial No. 582,18

ing portion of a belt. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section of the same device in a tilted position, the weighted closure operating device being adjusted to a dinerent position from that shown in Fig. `-6-. Fig. -8- is a perspective view of the detached closure. Fig. Q- is an enlarged sectional view, partly in elevation of the -4- and -5- except that the fusible member is removed. Figs. -10- and -llare perspective views of the bail holding links shown in Figs. -6-- and -7-. Fig. 1Q-'- is a perspective view of one of the parts of the fusible link. Fig. -13- is a perspective view of a further modified shield in which the hinge closure is arranged within the shell. Fig. 14- is a vertical sectional view of the same shield in an inclined position. Fig. -15- is a sectional view similar to Fig. -l4,- eX- cept in an inverted position and the weight adjusted accordingly. Fig. 16- isY a transverse sectional view of the same shield ytaken on line lf3-A6, Fig. -13-.

.and comprises an elongated tubular shell -1-- of sheet metal or equivalent heat resisting material having a passageway therethrough from end to end for the belt czand preferably of rectangular cross section to conform as nearly as possible to the cross sectional formiof the belt, leaving ample clearance to prevent excessive friction between the belt and shell. This shield eX- tends through the floor opening some distance above and below the Hoor -B- and is provided with one or more, in this instance two separate brackets -3-- at opposite sides thereof adapted to be secured by any suitable fastening means to the under side of the licor or ceiling lfor holding the shield in operative position.

The shield and its supporting brackets are pivotally connected to each other hy pivotal bolts -4- which permit the shield and brackets to be tilted or adjusted relatively to each other for the purpose of supporting the shield in an upright position or at different angles relatively to the floor toconform to the angle of travel of the portion of the belt with which the shield is associated and also permitting the bracket to be adjusted to conform to different angles mit it to be moved to and from a position.

on the floor or ceiling through which the belt passes, the shell 1-v and brackets bel-v ing held in their relatively adjusted positions by clamping bolts 5 which are located at one side of the axis of the pivots -4- and are preferably secured to opposite sides ofthe shell and project through elongated slotsf'f-l.4 in the brackets and concentrrici'lwithlsaidl axis.

In order that theshield may be placed inV operative position around a belt without disconnecting the latter, one side of the shield is removable and normallyl secured to the main body by screws or bolts -7-.. Theentire shield is also reversible side for side to permit it to vbe used at differentangles at opposite sides of a perpendicular or to permit the closure and its operat-ing parts to be used at either side of the belt as may be necessary or desirable in. placing the shield in operative position. l

The object in extending the shell -la considerable distance above and below the plane ofy theloor -B is to prevent the lire from passing through the belt opening by creeping under the floor or ceiling.A As

shown in Figs. -1'-, -3- and -4;, thev opposite ends of the shell l are beveled 1n planes convergingfin the same direction5 the object in beveling the upper v end being'v to allow theshell tov project. some distance through and above the floor when tiltedfto.

an angle as shown in Fig. -5- while the purpose in beveling the' lower end is to cause its under side toform an abutment. for the movable closure presently described.

This closure preferably consists of. a cast-- metal plate -8- having lateral projecting arms -9 which are pivoted by Yscrews or bolts -lO- toopposite sides of the shell:

-lto' support the said closure and peracross the belt passage -2-, said closure being of suiicient area to entirely close said:

passage when in its closed position. The distance'between the aXis of movement of the closure -8- and lower edge of theI long side of the shell lisequal to or slightly greater than the radius `of the are of movement of the. lower or advanced edge of said closure so as to form an abutment ork-y The opposite or. vshorter side of the shelly lterminates within the arc of movement of the closureA limiting stop therefor.

plate -8- which is therefore adapted to swing across the lower end of the passageway *QF- to effectively close said passage-way of soft. solder or similar material. whichis:

destructible under a comparatively low degree of heat and although the closure' is adjusted so as to close automaticallyV by itsA own gravity when released; this closing movement is laccelerated and made more effective and positive through the medium vofa weighted bail -12* and suitable connections with the closure when the fusible detent destroyed.

The weighted bail 12- forms a part of the mechanism for retaining the closure in its normal position and preferably consists' f and below the pivotal bo-lts l0-, theY lintermediate portionofz the bail being sup" portedVA some distance beyond the closurer -S- at the same sidel of the shell and is provided with la removable weight k llli The'arms of the bail V--12- are connected intermediate. their ends to the opposite ends of they frontv edge of the closure -8'- by' means of linksl-l-:which are attached to saidarms and'to the closure by means of pivotal boltsor screws 16- and 1T- as bestseen=in Fi0r.V-lj the pivots -l6 beingv normally; dlsposedin a plane abovea straight line drawn betweenYV the `pivots -.-l0fand- -17- when the closure is held in its open position, so as to assure the closing the plate Q8- V acrossv thelower end of the shell 1.- when the fusible deten't llis destroyed;

'The-bail-lQ-r is normally held in a posit-ion at anangle withv the verticali plane of itsfaxis so asto readily drop whenreleased L ythereby'cutting off the passage ofI the flame through 'the shell `--1 in case of llire, it

being understood that' if the portion of the v 110 ment should be burned away, said closurev v belt impinged betweenitheclosure and abuty will be forced by the weighted bail directly against said abutment.: It is now clear` that when the bail is raisedto the position shown... 1'* i by full. lines in Figs.' -l-, and 5*- theclosure -S-V-pwillzbe full open, leaving v a:clear'passage-way'for the belt through the -In .orderr thatith'e weighted bail may as# i Y 12o l sume ltheV twov ,extreme positions just` de scribed when the vshell is' disposedV verti,

,cally as shown'in Fig.-4 or at an angle r as shown in Fig. -5-, I4 provide an ad-V Y* VShell which serves toi holdfthe weighted bail and closure in'its normal position preferably f and holds them in operative position. The

link 18 consists, in this instance, of two sections 20 and 2l pivotally connected at 22 near one end of the section 21 the latter section being provided with apertures 24- at opposite sides of and different distances from the pivot, either of which is adapted to engage with a hook-shaped anchorage 25 on the shell l for holding the bail and closure in normal position nearer to or farther from the shell according to the vertical or tilted position of said shell. For t-he same reason, the link l5 is provided with separate sets of apertures 26-- at different distances from their pivots 1G those of either set being adapted to receive the pivotal bolts or screws 1T- The link l9 is provided wit-h a slotted offset 27 normally interlocked in a hook-shaped extremity 28 of the link section 20 the opposite end of the link 19 being formed with a hook 29 which is connected by the fusible detent or link M to a corresponding hookf 80 on the adjacent end of the link section 20 The link 18 is disposed in a plane nearly tangential to the arc of movement of the outer end of the bail 12 so that the strain thereon is nearly in a direct line between the bail and anchorage 25 the outer end of the link section 20- lying in close proximity to the outer face of the bail. which is interlocked at its outer end with the hook 2S extends across the front edge of and under the bail where it is connected by the link ll t0 the hook 30 so that the front edge of the bail bears against the offset M in close proximity to or just inside of the connection between said offset and hook 28 said hook serving as a limiting stop and normally preventing endwise displacement of the link l9 from the link 1S- The link l9 therefore becomes a lever fulcrumed at one end onthe hook 28 and having its opposite end normally connected to the hook 30 by the detent M so that the weight of the bail normally presses against the offset of the link l9 tending to rock said link 19 upon its fulcrumr when the fusible detent ll is Vdestroyed by heat and at the same time the normal strain upon the fusible detent is reduced to a minimum by reason of the engagement of the Vnected to the outermost apertures 26 of the links l5 farthest from the pivots 1G on the other hand when the shield is tilted to a considerable angle as shown in Fig. 5 the link sect-ion 21 is adjusted so as to connect its longer arm with the anchorage Q5- while the closure --S is connected to the innermost apertures --QG nearest the pivots l6 These adjustable connections therefore permit the same shield to be used in connection with belt openings in widely divergent angles. It is evident, however, that this adjustment may be made by various other mechanisms and in Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of connection between the bail and shell consisting of an anchorage or bracket M secured to the shell 1 and provided with a. plurality of, in this instance, two apertures 35 at different distances from the bail '12 for the reception of one end of a link 3G which is somewhat similar to the link section 20 in that it is provided with a pair of hooks 37 and 8 to be engaged respectively by a link -39 and a fusible detent ll The inner end of the link 3t' is adapted to be inserted through either of the apertures v 35 according to the position in which the shell is placed and terminates in a hook or shoulder 40 for interlocking engagement with one or the other of a pair of recesses M on the inner face of the bracket M just above the apertures 3 5 Then the shield is in approximately a vertical position as shown in Fig. 6 the inner end of the link 36- is interlocked in the upper aperture 85 while the closure 8 is connected by the pivotal bolts l7 to the lowermost apertures 26 in the links 15 On t-he other hand when the shield is tilted to a considerable angle from a vertical position as shown in Fig. 7 the link 36 is interlccked in the lower aperture 35 and the closure 8 is connected to the uppermost apertures E26 in the links 15 The link 39- is somewhat similar to the corresponding link 19 except that it is more nearly straight from end to end and instead of passing inwardly under the bail simply extends across the outer or lower edge thereof, and its inner' end is connected by the fusible link l1 to the hook 38 otherwise the shield shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is substantially the same as shown in Figs. 1 lt and 5 The slot in each of the links l9 and 39 for receiving the corresponding hooks 28- and 37 are of slightly less length than the lengths of the outer ends of said hooks so as to prevent said links from becoming accidentally detached when in their holding positions, the same being true also of the connections of the fusible detent 11- and hooks with which they are engaged.

In operation inocase of fire the shell 1 projecting as it does above and beneath` the plane of the floor prevents the re from creeping along the surface of said floor or ceiling and through the opening and at the same time the heat from such fire will quickly destroy the integrity of the fusible detent -llreleasing the link --19--y or -39- and allowing the weighted lever to descend by its own gravity, thereby forcing the said link from its holding position and effectively shifting the closure -8 to its closed position as shown by dotted lines in Figs-4- and -5- until the advance edge of said closure impinges the belt against the adjacent edge of the opposite side of the shell, the weighted bail -12- being thus in a substantially horizontal position and exerting a considerable pressure tending to hold said closure in its closed position even though the impinged portionk of the belt may be burned away. It may happen that this action will take place duringthe operation of the belt. In order to prevent any damage to the apparatus, the coacting edges of the closure and shell are rounded as more clearly shown in Figs. 4f and 5 to allow the belt to travel between said coacting parts even though the closure may j may be desired to pass through an opening; in a floor or partition and is equipped with al self-closing door or closure -5'1- hinged to one side of the shell -50-- and adapted to swing from its normally open position across the passageway to etfectively close the latter. For this purpose, the closure is of substantially the same or slightly greater area than the cross sectional area of the passage-way in which it is located and` is preferably secured to a rock-shaft -52-, the latter being journaled in suitable bearings in one side of the chute or shield proper. Secured to the rock-shaft preferably at the outside of the shell -1- is a crank arm -53- carrying a weight -54- which is adjustable lengthwise thereon vand of suiiicient gravity to automatically close and hold the door in its closed position. The weighted arm is normally held at a slight angle from a vertical position by means of a chain -55- and fusible detent -llto normally hold the door in its extreme open position, leaving a clear passageway for a belt or other article or articles which it may be desired to pass through the shell, the fusible link -llforming a part of the connection between the chain and weighted arm -53- while the vlinks of the tion of. the

be attached'.V

chain are adapted to be engaged with a passed through ythe, opening and adapted' to Y.

travel downward, the closure 51- usually extends downwardly from the rockfshaft f close to one side of the shell and isy adapted to swing upwardly to -its Y closed position when the weighted arm -ef is released by they destruction of the fusible` link -'ll-.V Thesame shieldv may, howevenbe used in,Y connection with a belt traveling upwardly and for this purpose the weighted farm 53-` is adjustablel rotarily on the rockshaft and held in position by a set-screw W5S- thereby permitting the weighted arm to be adjusted to the yproper angle for wardly to its closed position whenv the Aweighted arm kis released by the destruc-vk In order that the f detent.

weightedarm may be held in Aits normal po-V sition when the shield is inverted,theoppo-v sitfe end of said' shell is also Vprovided with kautomatically swinging" the closure"d owna hook-shape anchorage -59- to 'whichj one of the links of the chain is adapted to What' I claim is Y 1. A ireshield comprising a tubular shell @having an opening therethrough from end to end, a movable closure for one end of the f opening, a weighted' operating member' and adjustable connections between it and the.k

v closure Vit'or operatingthe latter and means including a fusible member for holding ythe weighted member against action by its own f gravity.

hinged to the shell and movable across one l fire shield `comprising' Va. tubular A shell, a normally open swinging closure end'thereof, a weighted member and connecfV u' 'tions between it and the closure for automatically. closing the said'closure, adjustable connectionsbetween the weighted member and the shell for holding the Vsaid weighted member against action by its own weight, said connections having oneof its members destructible under a comparatively low degree of heat.

3. A re shield comprising'a tubular shell i one,v end of the shell pivotedv thereto, Aa

open at both ends, a swinging closure for weighted bail also. pivoted to the shell, ad-

justable'connections between theibail and c .i

closure andheat controlled means for holdtween it and the closure lfor closing the lat- 'j 1 nections between one of said links and the shell.

5. A fire shield consisting of a tubular shell having a belt opening therethrough, a snp ort for the shell adjustable to different ung es relatively thereto, a normally open closure for one end of the shell and heat controlled means for holding the closure in its normal position.

6. A tubular fire shield having supports therefor adjustable to different angles rel- 15 ntivelyr thereto.

7 tubular fire shield having heut controlled means for closing the opening through the tube, and means adjustably mounted on the tube for supporting the 20 same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 9th day of September 1910.

DAVID S. VATSON.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, E. F. SPEAKING.

Copies o! this pstent my be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0." 

